An Enigmatic Man
by Merrylex
Summary: A mysterious man with piercing red eyes haunts L in his dreams. As if that was not enough, he starts to meet him in real life occassionally too. And there's also Kira. With two people stealing his sleep, what will L do when his nightmares become reality?
1. The Nightmare

An Enigmatic Man:

A mysterious man with piercing red eyes haunts L in his dreams. As if that was not enough, he starts to meet him in real life occassionally too. And there's also Kira. With two people stealing his sleep, what will L do when his nightmares become reality?

Raindrops continue to fall from the grey sky, hitting the cold ground below.

They get entangled in his hair, slowly sliding down his face. His ghostly skin seems to glow, the raindrops glittering on his body.

The clothes he wears, the usual plain white shirt and trousers are all soaked with water and feel heavy on him. He can hardly move. Still, he doesn't feel cold, for some reason, he rather feels very warm. Strangely separated from his body. L wonders why he is there, outside in the rain at this eerie, almost creepy place. Noone is there and he is alone. Loneliness is not a foreign emotion to L, not at all.

L can't see much of his surroundings, everything is consumed by the darkness caused by the rainclouds. The rain is intensifying now, big droplets are hitting him harder.

It's as if they were trying to pull him down to the ground.

He struggles, but falls on his knees, his hands on the ground. The pressure becomes too much for him, too hard to bear. It's strange how he's become immobile, completely unable to defend himself alone in the darkness. He wants to move, to explore the place, but he can't. Like some invisible bond was holding him back.

For some time, he just stays on the cold ground and feels, how the coldness grows inside his body.

He gathers his last bits of energy from all corners of his body and looks up. He feels he's not alone anymore.

There, somewhere in the distance, he can make out a dark figure. Neither does the figure show his face nor does he look anyhow familiar to L.

A complete stranger, menacingly approaching him. He is clothed in black and wears a robe, like death himself. L thinks he's even engulfed by some sort of dark aura.

He realizes that he can't escape. Whatever it is, it's coming closer. It moves effortlessly through the rain, closing the seemingly long distance between them with small steps.

Now, he's almost there. He stands some feet away, looking down at him. The sight causes L to shake in fear. He tries to crawl away from the figure, but trips over his feet on the slippery ground. L would like to scream for help, but is too shocked. No sound escapes from his mouth. The shadow reaches for him with his left hand and L's eyes widen in fear.

It smiles.

L awakes, almost falling off his chair. His eyes are wide and his breathing is erratic. He can feel the odd looks of the other task force members on him and his face grows hot. Now, the detective realizes he has just had a very realistic dream. The weakness he was experiencing in his dream, however, has not faded from him yet.

"Ryuuzaki, are you alright? You look extremely pale, er, I mean, more pale than usual." Matsuda stumbles. He looks surprised. He can't believe L has actually fallen asleep in front of the taskforce. He is not alone with his thoughts.

L nods. Everyone is looking at him with a worried expression on their faces. They are irritated because they have never seen L sleep. It's hard for them to believe that he would doze off, while working on a serious case, involving thousands of murders. That's something unheard of. Even L, someone, who is known for being irritating, must realise it's inappropriate, they think secretly.

" Do you need a break? We could go on working for some time, until you have fully recovered." Soichiro offers kindly.

"There is no need to worry." He says flatly.

L decides it's best to just pretend that everything is okay. He's actually tired of pretention, incredibly tired. For once, he wishes he could be alone for now. Just working all by himself. The detective cannot leave the case alone, just so he can recover from a dream. Even Matsuda should realize how ridiculous that is.

L has never had nightmares. When he sleeps, his sleep is dreamless. L remembers only darkness afterwards, nothing else. He keeps his periods of sleep short, he needs the time to work on his cases. They take up all of his attention. That is the reason why L drinks a lot of coffee with huge amounts of sugar, it's to make up for the lack of sleep. Sometimes, L suffers silently L is a restless ghost and even looks that way. A peculiar man who would immediately draw people's attention if he were to go out in public. He doesn't mind, his cases give his life a sense and also entertain him. The time passes fast and easily.

His body and mind can work without sleep. They always have.

L wants to stand up and go to the bathroom, so he can splash some water on his hot face. As he lifts himself slowly from the chair he had been crouching in all along, his body feels heavy.

Now L realizes why he's felt cold. His body is wet with sweat and his hair is matted to his forehead. His mind is dizzy, maybe he's caught a fever. Black dots are dancing in front of his eyes. The nightmare must've really gotten to him because he can't concentrate anymore. It seems he has to take more care of his own self. He can't stand upright and sits down again, holding a weak hand to his forehead. He has a terrible headache. It feels like his head is going to explode. He feels nauseous, too.

Light runs to him, gripping his shoulders tightly. He shakes L, as if trying to wake him up. The man looks pitiful.

L is looking deep into his amber eyes, searching for the motivation behind the action. Light is the prime suspect in the Kira case, a mass murderer and the fiercest enemy L ever had to face. Light equals him in intelligence and L doesn't expect kindness from him. He is sure Light already scheming something, a plan to get rid of him while he is ill and defenseless. He pushes the boy away with his last strength. Then he falls off the chair, his eyes closing as he makes contact with the ground.

The taskforce members gather around him, examining L with shocked expressions on their faces. They also wonder why L refused to take Light's help and pushed him away, in front of everyone else. Then Watari rushes into the room he had previously been watching with the cameras. He carries a first aid kit.

" Ryuzaki fainted, but he's not seriously injured, as far as I can tell. But it seems he's caught a fever. Please continue your work, I will take care of him."

He says after some minutes.

They go back to their work, still a little worried. They had feared it might have been a heart attack caused by Kira.

When L awakes, he sees Watari kneeling beside him. He holds a cold and wet piece of cloth to his hot forehead and it feels like bliss to L. The old man puts his hand to L's wrist to feel for a pulse. L can barely keep his eyes open, his vision is slightly blurred.

"L, you passed out in front of the taskforce and you fell asleep during the research. Can you remember?"

"Yes. What time is it now?"

"It's 10pm and nobody is working anymore. I strongly recommend you go get some rest yourself, too. How do you feel, L?"

L feels thankful, for he knows Watari's sorrow is honest and sincere. He's sure Watari stayed by his side the entire time.

" It's okay, Watari. I'm already feeling better, I guess I just need some sleep."

He hears himself speaking and as soon as he's spoken the words he regrets them because the only thing he doesn't want to do now is sleep.

He fears the dream might come back, in all its frightening intensity, the man haunting him like a ghost. L had never felt fear, no matter how hard a case had been or how close someone had gotten to him. Never.

On the other hand, he's well aware he needs sleep. Everyone expects him to recover properly. And L, the world's greatest detective, has to live up to the expectations of other people, after all. If he were to leave the case to the taskforce alone, Kira would not only get away with his crimes, but probably take over the world in no time.

How could a dream possibly influence him? He has no idea. Now, that the fog is slowly lifting itself from his mind, he is really worried.

Watari decides it's better to go together with L and bring him to his sleeping chamber, where Light is already waiting for him. He is wide awake in their bed, although he's supposed to be asleep. But Watari doesn't know about that. If he knew, he would watch the chamber the whole night, to ensure L's safety. Since he does not, he will go to sleep, too.

Light watches fascinated, how L is almost being carried into the room by Watari. He is weak, panting and his eyes are closed. What is wrong with him? Is he ill, by chance? Maybe he doesn't have to take care of Ryuzaki.

He never seemed to be too healthy. Pale skin that probably never saw the sun and a skinny body, very likely he is underweight, too. Still, to Light it is unbelievable that L, who's been his rival and the only one able to compete with him is so human and vulnerable, right here, in front of him. If he launched an attack now, he could very likely overpower both, Watari and L.

No, how foolish of him. It would all be recorded and the taskforce would finally believe L, despite all the false leads Light had carefully prepared.

Ryuzaki is gently being lain down next to Light, who is still pretending to sleep.

They sleep, back to back and Watari leaves the room. Now it's dark again and Light turns around to get a glance at L. He places a hand on L's forehead to see if he's got a temperature. His forehead feels hot, but there are no traces of sweat on it. He is hovering above L and feels powerful, in a sort of way.

Probably, Watari wiped it off and gave him clean clothes so he doesn't have to wear wet ones in bed. The old man and L seem to have a bond of some sort because he never lets anyone that close to him. He's got the impression they trust each other blindly.

Somehow, he's interested in L's mysterious past, he realizes. What is it that made L become the person he is now? Was there something that shaped him? Where are his parents or relatives? Such thoughts are irrational and insignificant, he tells himself. L's fate is sealed, he poses a threat to Light's, no, Kira's dream of a perfect world, where only the pure and kindhearted are allowed to live in tranquility, guarded by him, their god.

"Light?" Ryuzaki asks, interrupting Light in his thoughts. The word sounds slurred.

Through slits he's been watching Light for some minutes now. Light had gazed at him, a serious expression plastered on his usually motionless face. Such an intense gaze that became a hateful stare. When L couldn't bear Light watching his weak form any longer, he decided to say something to somehow interrupt him. He really wants to know what Light thinks right now and how he will react.

Light is a charismatic person, a skillful actor, whose pretention can almost fool anyone into believing him.L just got a glimpse of who Light really is. He thought L wasn't looking and for a short moment, his carefully placed mask had slipped. He can read Light a little, but his true intentions will stay enigmatic.

For now, the only thing of importance is that L mistrusts Light. He himself knows best he will never be able to fully convince L. That is exactly why he wants him dead.

AN: I edited this chapter and hope it's free of mistakes now :) A review would be very kind!


	2. Crimson Orbs

There. It's the same cursed place again. Dark and mysterious, a strange mist hovering above the place.

There's only a single thought in L's frightened mind. He wants to run and this time, his feet move, as if of their own accord. He knows it's irrational to just run into a randomly chosen direction, out of fear.

But in this dream, it feels like he has no choice. With his eyes closed, he runs like a madman. Like in a game of hide and seek, he has to flee and hide from the person who chases him. If only he hadn't fallen asleep!

But it's no use, for he will always have to sleep, at one time or another. There's no escape.

Although L is asleep, he is aware of the fact that he is dreaming. Last time, he had been stupefied and unable to move. One might think that it would decrease the intensity of the dream, however, it is not the case. It even makes him feel even worse.

After some minutes (or so it seems to L) he stops to catch his breath again. He has realised that he must overcome his fears. He should better stay where he is now and search for a way to wake up and flee from the dream. Why have I been behaving like a frightened child, completely without reason? He asks himself, his own confusion visible to him now. Some of his weakness from earlier seems to alter his way of seeing things.

With his hands on his knees, he looks around and takes in his surroundings. The fog has lifted and L can see where he is now. He calms down a bit, his heartbeat reaching normal level again.

There is some kind of village, he can make out old, run-down buildings, looking like houses. It seems like he is in the past, for everything looks old and there are no traces of modern technology. There are fields, crops are neatly arranged in rows and already growing.

Close to the village, which appears to be deserted and abandoned, a forest can be seen. Behind the trees, which reach high to the sky. Their leaves are a dark shade of green and sway in the wind.

Weird, when did the dream become so realistic? With the fog gone, everything appeared to be more real. The trees of the forest look so dark and it makes L think the enigmatic, frightening man might appear any second. As if he could step out of the shadows of the hollow trees with a sinister smile plastered on his face.

Just the right setting for a nightmare, he thinks darkly. His mood drops. L wonders how he came there, why is he captured in this strange dream. And why did his health take damage, it couldn't possibly be because of a mere dream, could it?

But how else could his predicament be explained? He suffered from a strange kind of weakness, when he was still awake. Had the dream perhaps drained his powers or absorbed his life energy? His imagination runs wild with all sorts of weird ideas. It doesn't make sense to L. And that sure is a rare thing for the detective with the unusual abilities. For the first time in his life, L doesn't know what to do.

Above him, dark clouds are starting to gather, dimming the light L needs to see where he is going. The atmosphere wasn't too friendly to begin with and his situation keeps getting worse. He hopes it's not an indication for the man to appear. That would certainly match. If only L could evade him and develop a strategy. He hates losing, even if it's just inside his own dream. Somehow, it feels like there's more to it. It's a familiar gut feeling.

L feels nervous and turns around. He doesn't want to go into the forest because it would be even harder to see something. Instead, he decides to take a closer look at the village and search for other people. It may seem crazy, since it is his very own dream, after all. Better put: His own personal nightmare.

With the person in the black robe around, it's not going to be a pleasant dream. But on the other side, there have to be people, somewhere around, since someone must have planted all those crops and build the houses? It is more a question than a statement. L has absolutely no idea.

Suddenly, he hears someone cry out for help. The sound is so terrible that it paralyzes L, he even forgets to exhale for a moment. It came from the village. Without thinking about it, he runs and hides behind a large house. He doesn't feel safe, but he is curious to see what's going on.

L almost screams as he sees the man in the black robe again. One hand outstretched, he holds a boy by his hair and lifts him up in the air. His grip is fierce and strong. The boy, an auburn-haired teenager, flinches and tries to get away from him. It's all in vain, the man won't let him go and L knows.

"Let me go, you monster!" The boy screams again. He keeps struggling.

" You're one to talk.." The man replies calmly, to L's surprise.

It feels so strange to hear his voice, so low calm and dark. Like he was whispering. L has never heard him speak. His presence is ominous and makes him feel uncomfortable. In a star contrast to everyone else on the scene, the man is perfectly composed.

He feels strangely reminded of Light. If only he could somehow help him…

But why shouldn't he? It's only a dream and now that he possesses this knowledge, he can act accordingly. He wished he had something to defend himself, though. A knife would certainly do.

For the moment, none of it matters. The boy needs to be saved. It's another human, the only one he had been able to find at this place. Although the man with the black cloak could be considered a human as well. What else could he be?

He jumps out of his hide-out and attacks and kicks at him. Unfazed, the man lets go of the boy and dodges his attack.

By the moment the boy hits the ground, the other has already recovered from his state of surprise and caught L. He has him seized by his neck now and stares him directly in the eyes.

"Don't you dare to interfere with me, L". L can't move, he is paralyzed. The tone of his words stirs something inside of him and he's unable to act. How does he know his name?

" You shouldn't worry about that now, I've got something more important to talk to you about."

That's impossible, he can actually read my mind! L thinks terrified.

The auburn-haired teen on the ground whimpers and lifts himself up. He lashes at his attacker , but is caught easily by the man's free hand. His eyes linger above the teen for a moment. Then he diverts his full attention back to L, his eyes a fierceful gaze again.

" Yagami Light is dangerous and needs to die. Do you hear me?" He says and looks at the teen again whose hand he holds tightly in his iron grip.

At this, the boy's eyes turn as wide as saucers. His wrist trembles as if it was close to breaking..

"L, why are you screaming? Hey, L!" Light uses the situation to his advantage and slaps him lightly in order to finally wake him up. L stirs and murmurs in his sleep. Light notices not without disgust that L has made their bed all sweaty again.

"Just look what mess you've created again, fool.." He mutters in an annoyed fashion, his hand pressed to his forehead in helplessness.

I feel dizzy, maybe I'm getting a headache, he thinks. Weird enough, L won't wake up. Somehow, L's painful expressions make him feel uneasy, but the quirky detective just doesn't react to his feeble tries of waking him up. So he guesses it's okay to leave him be for awhile and attend to his own business.

Light gets up and decides to take a shower, everything as usual. Today, his need for a shower is stronger. When L had been tossing and turning around all the time he had eventually made him wet, too. He hates this feeling, like he has been stained or marked….totally weird.

As he leaves the room, he hears L gasping. He has dropped to the floor.

What is this with this man, Light thinks. Why can't he just die and leave the world to Kira? And yet, they are both sleeping in the same bed, like lovers and Light feels how he is drawn back inside the room again, somehow worried for L's wellbeing.

So he checks on him. L lies perfectly still on the side, his hands slightly twisted. His breath comes normal. Something else is puzzling Light, maybe even frightening him.

L's eyes are wide open, as if he was staring at the ceiling. His orbs are not deep black anymore, but have a faint reddish glint to them. They seem to be glowing from the inside.

Light cannot look away. His eyes are locked on the crimson colour displayed in L's eyes.


	3. Outside the Dream

An Enigmatic Man Chapter 3

Light has never seen anything comparable to this. L's eyes, a crimson red, as if something had magically coloured his usually soulless orbs which are so dark that Light sometimes feels like he is being absorbed by them. Or scanned. Like a giant lying detector.

It makes him anxious, seeing L this way and not knowing what's happened to him, this weird human being he could never fully understand. He could never fully grasp what L was doing. His actions made him even more a mystery to Light than his appearance might have suggested.

He wishes he could get away, though. L's always made him uncomfortable, since he's the only one around with the capability of catching him. The pretention, the façade he wears like a mask was something he could never allow himself to drop in front of L.

This weird and twisted kind of relationship they had. Something like pretended friendship.

He can't move. Like he is being held in place by some spell so strong he can't break it. Instead he is still holding on to L, L in HIS arms. The only thing preventing L from falling onto the cold floor is his arms, he realizes. What a weird sentiment. He doesn't want this closeness. He's never desired for anyone to be close to him.

No, Light is not feeling anything now. He's the cold-blooded murderer he's always been. No, he's the relentless fighter for justice which he's always been. He mustn't allow feelings to interfere, he decides. For the sake of justice, he has none.

So, why not drop him here? Why not murder him in some ingenious way right now? Now that he's so vulnerable, right there. It's not possible, Misa has the death note and L can't stop what's already begun because he is weak. He has missed his chance of fighting back after Light's own plan turned out so well, just the way he had calculated. Everything is fine, he thinks. I needn't worry now. Misa kills the criminals and carries on his work. L is weak that is why he must loose.

L is completely limp in his arms, his arms dangling at his sides. Suddenly, Light notices that something shifts inside his red eyes. The spell breaks, Light can move again. He moves closer, inch by inch to examine L's eyes. This reddish gleam moves around in his eyes, creating a whirlwind of red colour, like a red cloud forced inside a round glass.

"What the…hell…." Light gasps. The supernatural display catches him off guard. His hands are moist and shaky. He lifts one and tries to brush it dry by wiping it at his jeans.

Light feels like he is in some fucking dream. Everything that's happened since he murdered Higuchi seems to be so strange and unusal to him. But so far, he has it under control, without L it's children's play to get the world to obey to him. How ironic, the world's entire system is based on this man's existence. And everyday they say you alone can never change the world. I can, Light smiles. Let's keep playing this game until I find out your name, L.

He can't help but to chuckle lightly at this thought. He is very much looking forward to this day, the day on which he will be dieing in his arms. That's how he pictures his victory. Complete and utter defeat of the enemy.

That's when L wakes up. In one swift movement, he's already sitting upright. His eyes are dark again, the reddish tint has disappeared completely from them. Light is looking at him. His eyes wide with 's he going to be like now?

"Ryuzaki, are you better now? You were tossing and turning. Then you fell out of your bed. I had a hard time waking you up, by the way." Mask careful in place again. Just in time.

You're lying, L thinks. I saw your face the very moment I woke up, you looked like you were about to kill. You're a pathetic liar, Light Yagami. Maybe dreams really are to be taken seriously, he considers. Would they stop if he went through with that monster's plan? He most certainly wished for it, at least now.

Light sees L's eyes narrow, facial expression hard and set. Mistrustful bastard. He lets go of Ryuzaki softly. Dropping him hard would have been justified, he thinks. But that would have been unsettling and inappropriate, even for L, at least in his position now. He tries to imagine L's reaction and unintentionally begins to laugh. His eyes would probably be as wide as saucers. Like a cuddly panda bear. He laughs harder, the laugh of a true madman.

L stares at him oddly, still lying on the floor. Just like a panda bear.

...

A man dressed in a dark cloak stands inside a river, the water reaching to his ankles. He croaches down and slips his hands into the icy cold water, splashing it on his face and rubbing it afterwards thoroughly. Strands of his thickly hair catch in the wind and make it impossible to see his face. His eyes, however, can be seen very clearly, for they are glowing brightly, breaking the eerie darkness of this winterly night, in a dark red, like two lightthrowers.

He walks through the water with a sure stride, although it's flow is quite strong. While he's still walking, someone else is emerging from the forest opposite of him. The person is similarly clothed, their only difference lies in the colour of their eyes. He doesn't wear a hood ,like the other, and his eyes are sparkling with the light emitted from the stars glowing brightly above the clear sky.

" They are fighting again, right? I can hear it. Their thoughts are especially loud today, almost penetrating." The other says and chuckles lightly, as if amused by this.

"That's why I went to see one of them today. I frightened him. When I was watching him back then, he never changed, I mean his face…But then, he looked incredibly vulnerable, so unlike himself. I wasn't trying to menace him, I just wanted to tell him."

" And it surprised you? Humans are unpredictable, you of all should know that. Can never be trusted." He closes his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face.

" No, it unsettled me. I gave him this dream to make sure that this illusioned kid is punished. I did everything the way I used to. I guess that had him freaking out, naturally. But this expression…. it wasn't funny anymore. I didn't want to see it, through this entire act. Maybe I had unintentionally grown fond of him…."

" So what?" He opens his eyes and puts his hands into his pockets. " Some even committed suicide afterwards, as far as I can judge, that one did fairly well."

The man with the hood looks at him wide-eyed. Almost in a comical manner. Only that it's hard to imagine a person with a steely red gaze to look funny. This one does.

"You cannot possibly mean that seriously." He ignores the other comment completely. No need to reply.

" We are meant to guard, doing everything in order to ensure that our task is fulfilled. Why not enjoy what we do? As long as you do not neglect your duty, you are free to do as you choose. We are guardians of the world, we should like the beings which inhabit these places. Sometimes, our task requires coldness and cruelty, but we are creatures of both sides." He finishes his little speech with a broad smile.

The shadow seems to consider his mate's view. He turns to look at the sky, with an unreadable expression.

" You mean we don't need to kill but are allowed to. But what about feelings?"

"Who ever forbade them? If you like him then I guess you do. He is not even directly concerned is he? He is the only means to get rid of the threat."

" Sadly, yes. Our presence in their minds harms them when they sleep. It is a curse." The red-eyed all but whispers.

" Do not visit him so frequently then. It will slow it down and give him time to get better. I mean you shouldn't invade his mind, you know."

"That's good. I do not wish to see him hurt again like this, somehow. When I had met him the first time, I had not wanted to scare him into running away. I had wanted to reach out and protect him. There is like some kind of unspoken secret around him, an air of that sort. Even I cannot make out what it is. He hurts inside, not only through my curse. That I have yet to investigate."

" Just don't kill too many others in the process, ok?"

" I will see what I can do. I'll find a way, eventually."

With a light touch to their forehead they bade each other farewell. The shadow heads into the direction of the forest, walking past his mate, to accomplish his mission. But thinking he is only of the sad-faced man he had seen so often and met so rarely under such sad circumstances. Hurting him instead of comforting. He knows he suffers, but why, that he can only guess. Because this human being had shut it all away so completely that the shadow had lost all insight.

" I want to save him, after all this time…" He thinks as he disappears into the darkness completely, not knowing what the future has in store for the both of them.

...

"Light, that is enough."

L stands now, his hands balled into fists. He doesn't like people making fun of him. Especially when it is Light Yagami aka Kira. Of that he is sure again, despite the fact he has to let him go because of lack of evidence.

" Oh no, how frigthening. It's ok Ryuzaki, I'll stop laughing." Light almost chokes on his words.

Normally L would kick him now. Normally. But with all power drained from him, he simply cannot do it. So he does not even bother to reply. Nonchalantly, he grabs for his towel and heads to the bathroom.

Light does not ask him whether he is going to take a shower. It is all obvious. But still, he wonders briefly about Ryuzaki's behaviour. Absolutely unlike the person he had believed to know a little. His enemy, now a weak panda taking a shower? Nononono.

He stops laughing, his eyes narrowing. It is time to resume to his work, he thinks. His work as Kira which Misa will carry out is his real dedication. He needs to stay, though, pretention is important after all the trouble he had to go through in order to save himself and Misa.

He can use her comfortably now and Rem will no longer be a threat. Although he'd like to have her out of his way and sight, too.

" I'm going downstairs, Ryuzaki. I'll start working." He shouts and walks away.

"….and devise some smart-ass plan to kill me off for good."L finishes the sentence for him in his mind. "Don't need to bother. That "illness" is going to kill me anyways", he thinks sadly.

"The only question is, can I stop you before my life runs out?" L whispers this, his head hung low. Sadness overcomes him. All this time, all these countless hours they had spent together, they had meant nothing to Light. L can tell it by his smug attitude. But to L….it's been different all along.

When he had said that Light was his very first friend, he had meant it. Light had been the first person to slightly resemble what people would call a friend.

He wants to investigate, together with Light, together with the innocent person he had been before the higuchi incident. To forget about their real identity and form a bond…of some sort.

All these thoughts fill him with a deep feeling of regret and longing. He yearns for closeness and in his mind he knows that he is going to die without ever having experienced it. Without ever having had the chance to.

He sinks onto the ivory-coloured floor of the bathroom, tears silently running down his face and staining his white shirt. He gets rid of it and drops it on the floor, afterwards removing his trousers and stepping into the shower.

The cold spray is calming, somehow it eases his pain and soothes him, until there is nothing left but a little soreness from his fever. He lingers in his shower, enjoying the very moment. It reaches to his core, washing all sorrows away. Now, he desires for a strong sugary black coffee.

Yes, fucking perfect. All he needs to recover is a shower and a coffee. He is actually surprised because it seems like the mysterious illness has faded from him. He cannot say for sure it's gone, but at least it seems to be so. As if a thick heavy cloud has been removed from his heart. He wonders about the expression he had in mind. It is describing it best. The feeling it created and the impression it left upon him.

With his spirits anewed, he reaches for a new set of his plain clothes and dresses quickly. Some of his usual courage and motivation has found its way back into his heart. Still, there is some weakness left.

His hands shake as he dresses. Nonetheless, he decides to forget about the dream which he can still perfectly recall, a vivid memory in his mind. So clear, like he could reach out and touch it with his slender fingers…..so weird, he thinks. It's filling his mind completely.

As he turns, however, there is a new feeling, and this time it's indeed familiar.

A kind of dark anticipation.

In a split-second, he dashes out of the bathroom and stumbles into….

Misa. What the heck is she doing upstairs anyways?

"Misa!" L says, his voice a pitch higher. He's been thinking of somebody else.

" Ryuzaki-kun, have you seen Light?"

" No. But Light-kun said that he would continue investigating."

His heart beats normally again. He sighs lightly.

Misa stares at him oddly, considering his answer and thinking. Then she turns.

L could have sworn that he saw a reddish tint in her eyes the second she turned. They flashed like a lit lantern, her aura changed, too, the darkness around her almost visible.

"Misa, are you okay?" He stumbles.

" Light Yagami must die, do you hear me?", she says, her expression dead serious.

A faint smile plays over her red lips.

" I needed to see you again, L."


	4. The Revelation

An Enigmatic Man 4

Many thoughts shoot through L's head like lightning bolts. What is he doing here? He was in his nightmare and supposed to… well…..stay there.

It has to be him, noone else could induce such an aura. And Misa certainly has never had red eyes before. On top of that, how did she get inside the bulding? Not without the help of either a traitor or a very skillful person. Misa doing this by herself, no, impossible. Completely out of question. Yet another mystery to solve.

But that's not what worries him the most now….

L steps cautiously back.

"Misa? You are not Misa, right? You're that man, the one wearing the black robe." He says, almost whispering the words.

" You even remember. Most people wouldn't give attention to a mere dream. The fact that you do makes it all the more interesting." Misa chuckles lightly.

This puzzles L. Interesting? He thought the man had just wanted to convey his message back then. The order to eliminate Kira. What fucked-up mind game was he in?

"What do you want? Stop messing with me and speak clearly. I will take care of Kira myself and I certainly don't need your orders." L's posture changes to one of complete resolution. Inside, he still trembles with fear. He just hopes that he does not betray himself.

" Hehe, so angry. Are you prepared to take me on? Because I think I'm going to take you with me. I might very likely overpower you, so I'm warning you now in advance for your own good."

What could he want from me, L thinks. How can one just step out of a dream and kidnap people randomly? No, he chose him in patricular, probably because of Kira. But why, why kidnap him then? To L, it does not make any sense. Once again, he feels terrified.

Misa draws menacingly closer to him and L feels reminded of his first nightmare.

" Don't come any closer." L says, pronouncing each syllable. Cautiously, he steps back and avoids Misa's now red tinted eyes. Her changed voice does not match her anymore. It has become apparent that she is not really Misa anymore, but something entirely different. Someone entirely different.

" What if I do?" He answers playfully.

"Don't!" L screams this.

Just that moment, they hear steps approaching from the stairs. It's Light who has obviously heard L's scream. He looks impatient and is apparently annoyed.

" Seriously, what's going on here? Misa, what are you doing up here? You weren't supposed to enter this bulding again!" Light says but is actually pleased. However she did that, it was probably her smartest move.

Then, something changes.

" Ki…Light!" Misa runs into Light's direction, her arms spread wide. The extreme change leaves L shocked and he actually watches the scene for a while with big eyes.

Hadn't he known about Light's secret identity before, Misa's outburst would have seemed like a confession to him. Now, it only causes him to drop his head and sigh out loudly. Her eyes seem to be back to normal for now which causes him great relief. Maybe it has finally come to a end.

*Bump*

Light drops to the floor, his arms spread in an impossible angle.

L only stares.

" Well, what a noisy chatterbox he is. A little sleep will do him well." The girly voice has disappeared.

L still stares, completely dazed and in horror.

" I said he sleeps." Red-eyed Misa says as if L hadn't understood.

" Why….you…" L shakily replies, trying to recover from another shock. Light really looks like a mess. One of his eyes is half opened, the other closed, his whole face contorted into a frightful grimace. A nightmare version of Kira, he slightly ressembles a fallen zombie.

" Don't worry about Kira, you can still lock him up later. You should rather worry about yourself for now." The shadow grins and moves one of Misa's manicured hands through his now blonde hair.

In a split second he isn't standing beside Light anymore, but has already advanced on to L. Right next to him, he grabs his face with one hand and whispers in his ear:

" I don't kill….we don't do things this way, you know. But I can make you dream… forever, if you desire to." He smiles boyishly, but L can't see it. Another part of him surfaces which he likes to keep hidden most of the time. Except when it comes to business, of course. He can barely control that. His usual composed self, it changes.

L gazes into her eyes and is again entirely lost. Paralyzed and unable to move, he realizes that he has already lost their little game and that the other is in control. Again, he's been caught. Again he is feeling the fierce grip of this stranger. Again, he is cornered. And this time, it is not a mere dream, but reality.

" Quit this, please." He all but sobs.

This seems to make the shadow in Misa's body think. Suddenly he is very uncomfortable. Reluctant even, for his grip on his chin loosens. Then he drops his hand entirely.

"Please, L, leave with me." He says, looking at him tenderly. " I actually don't want to force you into accompanying me."

Holding one hand outstretched, the man invites L to come with him. His eyes are shining like two giant red lamps. Eyes full of unspoken promises.

Then, he suddenly closes them and the red light disappears from Misa's eyes.

" I'll let you think about my offer. It's to keep you save." He sighs.

" Leave Kira to us. You have interfered enough. He's no ordinary criminal and that is why he is out of your reach." The man in Misa's body says sadly.

" And I'm no ordinary detective." L replies defiantly. To L, his offer seems to be completely illogical. Why should he, whoever he might be and whatever his business is, care about L's fate? Why would he go so far for him? The "us" doesn't go unnoticed, he suggests there might be more, more people bearing his ability to invade dreams and turn them into nightmares. Since Kira's appearrance, his entire world, the things he had believed in so firmly had been turned upside down. Just anything could happen.

Truth to be told, he doesn't want to go with him, he does not even trust him. One moment he acts cruel and ruthless, frightening L almost to death and the next he is worried about his wellbeing? No fucking way.

His answer would be no.

But then again, if he would be perfectly honest, could he really take on Kira alone? If his next move is indeed a fatal one, then… could he prevent it? What if he died? Who would continue his work? More importantly, who could continue his work the way he could?

But these doubts, no matter how nagging they might be, giving up and following a creepy stranger is not an option. He does not trust him, to L it seems like he has the demeanor of a total maniac, only that he is real, the things he says are the truth and his threats are dangerous.

For now, he has to accept the situation and find a way to…..cope with it. Or him. And Kira.

" I will stay where I am. Nothing you say or do will change my mind." He says and looks him straight in the eyes. His fear is gone.

Pointing at Light he says: " Revive him, I don't want him dead."

L is surprised about the lack of emotion and the casualty with which he addresses Light who lies seemingly dead and tangled up on the floor.

Now, he has the other surprised, too.

" You don't want his death? Muahaha." The shadow laughs and it sounds like the ruffling of dry leaves. " What exactly do you think is going to happen once you hand him over to the police? Are you that naïve?"

" He will get locked up and I will take care of that." L replies stoically.

" They will kill him, believe me. And even you can't change their mind. They are set, of that I am sure. I've seen my fair share of their methods and know what I am talking about."

L doesn't know what to reply. He is out of words. What does he know? How well is he informed? These are few of the many questions he has in mind when seeing this man and speaking to him.

" We will see each other soon."

" I'll be dreading the very moment." L says, suddenly in fighting mood. He wonders. What if a well delivered kick could solve his little problem?

" Well, I'm actually anticipating it." He smiles enigmatically as he turns to leave. The man is out of reach before L can act.

Misa sinks to the floor, unconscious. Light stirrs lightly in his sleep. A peaceful smile is plastered on his face, he looks so innocent, L thinks. They both do, but they aren't.

"I must make sure that they can never deceive anyone again. Never." L mutters to himself.

But then again, why does he even hesitate when it comes to Light. Why is he so important? Is he really? He could have him dead, after all. Case closed, problem solved?

No, that wouldn't be it. Of that he is sure. But the reason he does not know.

After the weird man with his secret ambitions has disappeared, L's brain starts working again. One thing comes to his mind which worries him quite a lot. Watari watches all rooms and so he should heve seen the recent events. Why didn't he interfere? L decides to call him directly.

Another important thing is getting a doctor for Light. Although he is probably just unconscious, L decides that it would be best for him if he would be taken care of properly. So he flips his cellphone open and calls Watari immediately.

Strange enough, he does not answer the phone. This has never happened before and equals an absolute emergency. L hastily flips his cellphone shut and thrusts it back into his jeans pocket.

Leaving Light and Misa unattened, he dashes off to Watari's office. His mind is full of fear and worries. What if the red-eyed freak had hurt him? What if he had killed him? L couldn't afford to loose the only person in the world who truly cared about him, who loved him. Even the thought made him want to scream. Such a thing may never happen. If he lost Watari, he would be alone.

Out of breath and panting, he reaches the office. With one hand he slams the door open.

"Watari?"

Inside the monitors are turned off and it is completely dark. Now L is absolutely certain that something is wrong.

L fumbles blindly for the switch and presses it hard.

There in a chair in front of the monitors is the motionless figure of Watari. L runs to his side and frantically feels for his pulse. His calm demeanor is entirely gone. This is the man who has been like a father to him.

Finally, he feels it pulsing in a steady calm beat underneath his fingers and realizes that Watari is okay, like Misa and Light. Just unconscious.

Then, he calls one of the doctors who have been taking care of his and Watari's health for some years now. Absolutely discrete professionels who didn't ask questions for as long as their bills were paid.

After ten minutes or so they arrived and examined all three of them in L's and Light's sleeping room. None of them has any severe injuries, only Light's arm has bended quite a bit, but is not broken. Misa will probably suffer from a light headache, but Watari is completely sound.

L is relieved because they are all well. He's felt responsible for their wellbeing.

At 8 am, the other task force members arrive and L enters their working room. He explains the situation, that Light can't come because he's feeling badly. He does neither mention the enigmatic man nor that Watari is that Misa has somehow entered the building although she has no permission. He knows he still has to investigate the matter further, though it's probable the man from his dreams pulled the strings and brought her in so he could use her in order to talk to L.

The work itself proves for L to be very boring this day. Without Light around it is just different. Like he couldn't work without him. It reminds him of the man's words…that Light would die eventually and that L could do nothing to prevent it. As if it was destined to happen. But it's not like L would go along with it. As naïve and childish it may be, L still wishes for them to be friends. He wished there was the possibility to reverse this whole Kira business.

Opening new files…reading information…..closing them again. The daily routine of looking for connections linking to Kira is annoying him. He's still looking for someone he has already found. Who now lies in his bedroom, sleeping soundly. He hates the charade of continued pretention. If only he could find a means to send them all home. His fingers click away nervouly on the keyboard, making loud sounds as he applies more and more force to it, wanting to go faster and to finish. It echoes in the room and the task force members cast disturbed glances at him. L can't help it today.

Eventually, he leaves and heads to the bathroom, still being eyed suspiciously by the others. L can tell that even they sense that he's keeping secrets from them. Well, naturally.

He splashes cold water on his face because he thinks it might help him to see matters more clearly. What should he do now? The investigation has come to a stillstand….. there is nothing more to investigate. It's all so pointless, incredibly pointless.

Finally, everybody leaves and L goes upstairs. Several times he had looked inside his bedroom for Light and in the other room for Misa and Watari. Between his working fits he had anxiously glanced at the screens which displayed the video footage of the room, watching carefully that Watari would not be harmed and that Misa would not escape because she still needed to be questioned about the incident. Not like L expected her to give him useful information.

Looking at Light made him chuckle. The man had dealt with him so easily….and there he lay like a little misplaced child who had made a mistake. Mockingly innocent.

As he enters the room, Light is still asleep. That man must have really gotten to him.

Quietly, he lies down beside Light, carefully moving so he does not disturb the younger man's light sleep. Tonight, L does not even has the slightest desire to work. To him this sentiment is completely new and foreign at the same time.

After hours of pondering, mostly about Light, and tossing and turning, L is annoyed and still not asleep, although he lies with his eyes closed. Insomnia again. Most times this was useful, but definitely not now. He wonders whether it might be some kind of dark anticipation of what would await him in his sleep. The man…..?

Then he feels his hair move. A weird sensation since there is no wind in the room and the window is closed. But L enjoys it. It makes him sigh. But it's getting stronger….

L opens his eyes, but is unable to make out anything or anyone else. Suddenly he hears a faint whisper. Almost not audible at all.

" Close your eyes again. I just wanted you to notice my presence." It says.

L obeys and as he does, images start to fill his mind. He is on a wide grass field with no trees around. Just him and the enigmatic man, nobody else. The setting is not frightening at all, although he recognizes this field in particular from somewhere.

He walks in the man's direction, without fear, advancing with curiousity instead. The man does not walk away. Instead, he sheds his black robe.

L opens his mouth in shock and closes it again. The man is his splitting image. A shock of inky black hair, a lean body, almost skinny even. Only his features are slightly different and he seems to be a little taller. And his piercing red eyes, of course. Instead of a white shirt, he wears a black one. Strangely enough, he looks familiar….if only L could remember.

" Who the hell are you? What is your name? Are you even human?" L asks, directing all the questions at him which had been bugging him all along.

" Try to remember. I was what you are. And what I am, that you will be." He answers, pointing a finger at L.

" So you are not human."

" For my name, it's not entirely beyond human comprehension, although we tend to forget them once we are not longer the ones we were."

These hints are enough for L to understand. Already faded memories overcome him.

Author's Note:

The " I was what you are" sentence I borrowed from a famous grave inscription. In this Fanfiction Beyond's and L's story will be different. I hope you liked my story so far, please leave a review if you did and want me to continue with the story. This is my first fanfic and I'm still having difficulties with writing… so please excuse my many mistakes which I undoubtedly made….Well, I'll keep practising :)


	5. A Trip into the Early Past

An Enigmatic Man

Chapter 5

A trip into the early past

Disclaimer: I figured it would now be time for one. I own nothing.

L remembers.

It happened in October 1994, shortly before L's 15th birthday. A memory which possesses sweet qualities as well as bitter ones, just both mixed together and now that he remembers he still cannnot say which of them is stronger. And he cannot discern which of them he hates more. They both caused him the weakness he so loathes.

He can vividly recall the moment he met Beyond for the first time. A little innocent and frightened boy who seeked attention. His attention specifically. But that he did not know from the beginning on.

They were all dining in the Wammy's House. L and the other gifted children , the prodigies, the geniuses which Quillsh Wammy had collected to turn their gifts into professions. Caring about them like a father would about his own children, careful not to neglect any of them. He loved their laughter and happy smiles. Although they sometimes were as wise as an adult, they were still carefree children.

But then again, there were also these other children. Those who couldn't cope with their gifts. Those who became depressed with the things they acknowledged as the truth. Wammy did his best to keep them sane and fine. Though he knew he would not always succeed at fixing their fragile minds, he tried.

In some cases, his efforts were in vain. One of these cases was little B. A very promising child he was, indeed. In the beginning, that is to say.

Until he decided to take the path that led into absolute darkness. The destiny of an insane murderer.

That day, they were, as said before, dining in the hall. L looked absentmindedly out of the window as he devoured his muffin. They were taught that sweets stimulated the mind due to the sugar they contained and L cherished this wisdom. It gave him reason to eat what he wanted to. It came in handy.

The other children were eating too. But not like him. They were neither picking up the food the way he did ( with two fingers) nor were they sitting like him. Also, they didn't look out of the window. Their attention was focused on L entirely. L, the smartest kid in the room, unrivalled by anyone. The gazes of the others always rested on him and he was never questioned.

They looked up to him. But L was not the overly social type. He had few friends, but those he had he really cherished.

Most of the time L seeked loneliness, though because it provided him with the time he needed to concentrate. Time for his work as a detective.

At the tender age of seven, he had already been solving cases. Minor ones, though. Everyone who knew about him was beyond impressed. At the age of fifteen, he was already solving major ones involving murder.

Suddenly, Wammy came in, startling them all. Usually he didn't stay inside while they ate. They guessed he had other business to attend to. And it seemed like he really had.

With him there was a little boy with black raven hair much like L's own, though this boy's hair was stained with blood. He held a white cloth to his eyes which also had a few bloodstains.

Wammy looked extremely excited, never had the children seen him this way. Like he was close to fainting. Without giving them any form of explanation, he rushed through the hall, the child at his side barely able to keep up with him.

It was obvioulsly an emergency, but Wammy took care not to pull the child too roughly. Maybe some sort of accident had happened outside, they whispered to each other.

"Please don't be afraid, children. I will explain everything to you in due time, please finish your food." Wammy said, clearly out of breath, trying to look at them all while speaking.

The boy dropped the handkerchief sized cloth for a while to wipe his eyes. They were red, but not from crying.

They were crimson, L observed, and unlike anything he had ever seen. This boy immediately caught his interest. He was unusual, that much he could already tell.

To L, he looked sensitive, attentitive even. And for the first time in L's life, he was really curious about one of the other children.

L focused hard on him and looked him directly in the eyes. The boy stared back with equal curiousity. As if they had just started a staring contest.

Then, he put the cloth back to his eyes again.

Wammy reached for the red-eyed boy's small hand again and led him through the hall and upstairs.

The other children kept murmuring and talking about the curious incident but continued their meal as ordered. Only L had lost his appetite, which was not like him.

His interest had been drawn to something else and he couldn't forget about it.

After the meal, he didn't go to study in the library like the others. He didn't go to bed, either.

Instead, he set off on his own to explore the matter further for he could not dare to let it rest. A boy with red eyes who comes in the strictly guarded Wammy's House without an invitation ( of the latter he was always well informed), bloodstained and without an explanation from Wammy…..this was too much for his taste.

On tiptoes he moved stealthily through the huge manor, careful not to utter the faintest sound for it would betray him. He wanted noone to know about this little mission of his own.

It would seem suspicious, that was all there was to say about it.

He swiftly moved up and down the corridors, until he heard voices.

He could make out one of them to be Wammy's, the other was an elderly woman, probably about seventy, he guessed.

Wammy was speaking eagerly while the woman's voice sounded comforting and caring, like she was talking to a little kid. So he had found them.

L crouched behind the door in order to hear more of their conversation.

"….please tell us what happened. We will keep you safe, just talk to us." The female voice said sounding desperately.

So the child refused to speak. But why should he do that? What had happened? L was eager to know.

" Are you hungry? We have very delicious food if you'd like some." Wammy offered him. " You can tell us later and first rest a little, do you want that?"

L heard them moving behind the door and quickly went away so he wouldn't be seen. Apparently the boy had accepted his offer. Even better for him for he could interrogate him now by himself without interference. They would leave him alone for a moment.

He hid behind a huge wardrobe. Since he was exceptionally slim for his age it was not so difficult for him.

Wammy opened the door. "We need to let him recover first." He said to the woman.

" Yes." She answered solemnly. "Whatever it was that put him into this state…it must have been terrible. An those eyes…I have never seen such a thing."

" It surely is an indication. This child is special, as far as I can tell. We will keep him under special surveillance once he is fine again."

He heard them come and go and after awhile he felt reassured that they would come no more, at least for the time being, so he slid from his hiding place into the room. This was going to be interesting.

They had chosen a nice room for him. L had never been inside himself, it was a wide white room with a huge window directly opposite of the door. It had a blue windowpane, the light shining brightly inside.

The raven haired boy lay in a bed on the left side, his eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. The blood was gone, apparently he had been washed.

L went to the bed, careful on his tiptoes. Next to the bed on a chair lay a tray with food and it was untouched. The freshly baked muffins smelled deliciously and reminded him of the fact that he had left his breakfast unfinished.

It was just too tempting….

So L reached for one of the muffins

And was interrupted by a small hand that had caught his wrist with surprising strength.

" Don't touch it. It's mine." He said with conviction, eyeing L suspiciously.

" Why not share? You are the intruder after all." L answered mockingly, glancing him in the eyes without fear.

"I'm not afraid of you."

And then he bent forwards and held L's arm behind his back, so easily, like L was in fact the younger of the two.

Whispering in his ear he said: " I'll just kill you when nobody looks…"

His red eyes gleamed dangerously as he let L go.

L was frozen in place. Never had another child dared to talk to him like that. And this cruelty…it was not just because of the muffin. The younger just wanted him to know whom of them would be in control, but L would not let him.

A little competition would only do him good, he decided not to be scared away this easily. What was this boy? Why had he red eyes? L needed to know, no matter what. It was a mystery designed for him alone to solve. Maybe this side of him served him as a protection only and he was different inside. Or had he been the cause…..and it was not in fact his blood?

He had a feeling this boy would stay and not go after his wounds had been treated. Whatever had happened, L wanted to discover it.

" Why were you covered in blood? What happened? Please let me help you."

" Are you deaf? Go away or I kill you." He said silently, a bitter tone to his voice.

It made L thoughtful. It didn't sound deep, but definitely older.

"Kill me how? With those strange eyes of yours perhaps?" He knew he might just have gone a bit too far.

Eerie silence. He did not reply. Instead he lashed at him with ferocity, tears shining in his eyes.

"Go away!" He screamed.

And L ran. He ran until he could run no more. When he stopped to catch his breath, he felt strangely. Something was not right, there was this feeling in his chest. It hurt incredibly. He sunk to the floor, hands clutched to his chest, almost tearing the thin fabric of his shirt apart.

Such an intense pain that it took the breath out of him again. He gasped and coughed.

And that was when he saw where the pain had been coming from. That boy had hit his chest with his fist and somehow even managed to claw at his neck. L hadn't really felt it at first. There had only been the thought of getting away. Now the blood trailed down on his shirt, though the pain in his chest was slowly subsiding. He weakly got up. Still, it was a mystery to him why he had not realized it right away.

He heard giggles coming from nearby.

Matt and Mello were playing hide and seek. They didn't study often in the way the others did. They preferred playing videogames together. Still, they belonged to the few kids who could be called the best. And they were closest to L, although they were much younger than him. When L got hurt once, they tended to his wounds. He called them friends.

Matt appeared from behind the corner, still giggling until he saw L.

Immediately he ran to his side. "L, are you alright? What did you do to your neck?" He asked in his sweet and childish voice.

"It's okay, little Matt." L said soothingly and patted the little boy's fragile head.

"Mattie, where have you gone? I'll find you, just you wait!" Mello exclaimed.

Then he saw L too and his eyes widened. "L..."

"It's not as bad as it looks. Just a scratch. Could you please go and get me a patch, Mello?" L asked him. " I hope it doesn't get infected, though." He added, trying not to sound too worried.

"Hang on, I'll be right back."

It took Mello only 6 minutes to go and get the patches. Afterwards they both, Mello and Matt, tended to his wounds. L felt so warm when they were around. It gave him this special feeling he only had when he was with or, at rare times, with Wammy. He had always been a kind of father figure to him. Caring and warmly, there for him when he felt cold and lonely.

That night he retired to bed early, the weird incident had left him quite exhausted. So he slipped under the soft covers of his bed and tried to sleep. The light that was emitted by the moon drew weird patterns on the floor. Somehow it made him anxious, despite the fact that he was almost fifteen.

He just couldn't help it, he was unable to close his eyes and strangely drawn to the mesmerizing display of light and shadow on his floor.

His door lay in the darkness, but that didn't mean that L could not see or hear it when somebody tried to enter.

"Who's there?" He said fiercely, although he had quite an idea of who might be lurking in the shadows of the room.

"Why, it's only me. No need to be afraid. I won't do no harm." The voice of the red-eyed boy said, sounding desperately and honest to L.

But L could still feel the pain pulsing in his neck.

What had caused this extreme change in him? Before he had tried to make him go and succeeded. Now he was looking for L of his own free will.

He came closer, now standing next to L who still lay in his bed.

" I wanted to apologize for what I did to you earlier."

He started to gently caress L's hair with his hand, softly, so unlike before.

" By the way, you have hair just like mine." He said, and L could almost hear the smile in his words.

"Mine." He repeated.

A/N: I hope you liked their story up to now. I would really love to hear what you think about it and I will reply, so please write a review ;)


	6. A Glimpse into Beyond

An Enigmatic Man

Chapter 6

A Glimpse into Beyond

He felt L tense up as he got ready to defend himself. Quickly, he released his grip on him and backed up a few metres with measured steps. He was well trained for a boy of his age, though his movements did not resemble any style that L knew of.

" …Why did you come back? Probably not to scold me for touching your muffin, I guess."

All his weird talking had somehow distracted him, so he decided to turn to the matter at hand.

" Good at guessing, aren't you?" he said, laughing silently," that would be ridiculous, wouldn't it? I came with a warning. Stop following me or you'll feel sorry for the rest of your pitiful life." The threat passed his lips easily, no hesitation visible.

His eyes were alight with a crimson colour , a frightening intensity in them. L did not know what to do. Could he run? Would he be able to escape? Was he even human? His hands were sweaty and he realized that he was…afraid of a child. As strange as it sounded. Because this sight was creeping him out.

"The next time we meet I won't go easy on you. I can be very convincing, as you can guess from the little mark I caused you." A dangerous smile played on his lips. " You better leave me alone."

L had never met a person more unlike a child, though he clearly was one. And L had never been one to listen to other people's advices as long as his mind told him better. Even if he had drawn a flaming sword L's answer would not have been a different one.

" Me neither." He answered with the air of a man who accepted a challenge. He looked just as fierce as the boy opposite of him, which, strangely enough, seemed to please him. Although he had just demanded the opposite of what L had somewhat suggested. A challenge.

" This is no idle game, but do as you please." His smile grew broader, as if he appreciated L's answer.

He turned and walked to the door, perfectly calm and composed, like someone who was used to situations like these and enjoying them. L was impressed, though he would have never admitted it.

"Wait….who are you? What is the secret behind that eyecolour of yours?"

Somehow, L felt stupid for asking this question, but he wanted to know…He had never heard of the possibility of having red eyes. It was just impossible. And here he was, facing a boy in his sleeping chamber who did.

The boy stopped on his way and looked at him again, intensely, measuring him from head to toe.

" My name is Beyond Birthday and I was born with these eyes…What is it? Don't you believe me?" He said as he saw L's disbelief written across his face. Surely no person could be called that unusual way. No person with sane parents, that is to say.

" I'm not joking, but you may call me B. Your name is weird too, L Lawliet. Still they call you L. So I might as well be B." He chuckled and went, looking all happy and content to L, who was as puzzled as he had been never before.

Then he was gone and L sighed. Slowly, his heartbeat was returning to normal level as he held his hand to his head to wipe the sweat away. He had a terrible headache. How could this "B" have found out his real name? Though regarding this boy he felt like nothing could surprise him anymore. Their two encounters had shaken him in his firmest beliefs.

He still heard laughter outside his room, slowly subsiding as their distance grew. L frowned. What a weird kid he had met. The frown grew into a big smile as he thought of the possibility of having found a suiting antagonist, made for him alone to defeat. A true battle of minds was about to begin.

...

The next day at breakfast, B sat down next to L, wishing him happily a "good morning" and acting like they were the best of friends. But L did not give him the satisfaction and acted accordingly. Never showing the faintest sign of confusion or irritation, and L was irritated indeed. It was just that he had truly mastered the art of concealing one's own feelings.

The battle had officially begun.

" You wanted me to stay away and yet you keep me company." He said slyly, peeking over his strawberry cream sandwich. at B, who ate with equal appetite. As if there would be never enough food to satisfy his needs.

On top of that, he kept mimicking L, like a mirrored version of himself. One could think it might have driven L crazy. But L represented absolute composure, his usual monotone self. Deep inside he felt angered and wanted to get rid of the red-eyed boy who had so readily attached himself to him, despite his previous threats of ending his life for good.

" The world is in constant motion as is my mind. It just changed overnight, I guess." B smiled heartily and it was so irritating to see the red-eyed boy laugh in so carefree a fashion that even L was taken aback for a second.

Think you're smart, huh…I will crack you like a nut., L thought darkly. The conversation was annoying and he wanted to be with Mello and Matt.

Just as Matt had tried to sit down next to L, B had snatched the chair away so little Matt had fallen. In the process, he had gotten hurt and Mello had been there to take him to the nursery.

" Oh, I am so sorry," B had exclaimed, with obviously faked concern for the boy, " I see there's already a nice nurse to care for you," He said alluding to the fact that Mello resembled with his long and blonde hair a young girl.

He gackered like a madman and Mello, fuming with rage, was on the verge of exploding.

" Mello, it's okay, please go with Matt," L said, applying his most soothing tone to his voice." Beyond, that was not nice."

"Oh, it wasn't?" His eyes were comically wide.

" So you're even defending him despite your better judgement? Why,L?" Mello said sounding hurt. He had gotten it all wrong and L felt sorry because they had not the time to discuss the matter, especially not with B around and with little Matt, who had started to cry.

Mello went, holding Matt by his hand, not without looking at L accusingly.

" Why did you interrupt us? By the time I would be done with him he would finally look like a boy, though perhaps a little disarranged if you get what I am hinting at."

B chuckled and resumed his seat.

" These two are my friends," L said, showing real anger and a threatening tone to his normally calm voice. " Touch them and I find a way to kill you, committing the most perfect crime of history in the process, without ever leaving the faintest clue as to whom the murdere might be, abandoning your mutilated corpse in the forest nearby."

" My, my, you can be frightening." B still thought it wise to joke around. He was happy that he had coaxed L into showing emotion. It was his personal succes that made his day.

To the children, this display was confusing and shocking at the same time. The weird stranger who had somehow managed to stay at the Wammy's House, was openly arguing with L. A child, younger than L, with red eyes….

...

Thankfully, L had not been interrupted in his sleep again. B kept following him around. Strangely enough, for he had advised L to leave him alone.

It made the whole business easier for L who had promised to keep an eye on him, for his unexplained and strange, bloodstained appearance on the first day in the orphanage. The boy was a walking mystery. And a misery, too, for his attachment to L also hindered him in his mission. How could he watch someone when he was being watched at the same time? He could find out nothing without B's immediate knowledge.

He could tell B to go away. He could ask Wammy to send the kid away. None would help, the child returned to follow him. At least L had succeeded at clearing the situation for Mello and Matt.

One day, B was still asleep, L went to see Wammy and to ask him about the mysterious boy's past which he still hid well. L doubted that Wammy knew, but asking did not hurt. He should exhaust all of his sources.

" Watari…," He said, adressing Wammy because the children were taught to use their synonyms and never speak another one's true name openly.

"Watari, what do you know about the boy called B?"

"Not much, for he refuses to speak about it. We have often tried to approach the subject, but he shuts down immediately and stops reacting. He says that he is not ready to tell us yet."

" Do you believe him? In which condition did you find him? Where? Were there others? Who else was involved?"

"Easy, L, you are interrogating me like a witness or even a subject, and in a quite hurried way. We have time."

" I am sorry, Watari. I guess I've gotten too used to handling cases," He said, sounding amused because he had not realized how rude he had been.

All I can tell you is how we found him and where. We found him in an abandoned house, more like a huge hut, living in terrible conditions. We had received report that a young boy was living there on his own, neglected and lonely. It was just a mere suspicion of the neighbours, they had never even caught a glimpse of anyone else, any relative or friend, just him, always alone and savage looking. He was not in the best spirits when we found him."

L listened intently to Wammy's tale, his eyes alight with growing interest.

" This boy sure must fascinate you like no other does. Ah, don't look at me like that!" Wammy chuckled.

" Pray continue," He mumbled somewhat annoyed. L rolled his deep black eyes

" He was talking to himself and deeply confused. He hardly realized that we were there, maybe because all windows were covered by curtains and it was very dark, though we could see quite well I must admit. He sat in a cold room, the kitchen apparently. On the table was only an opened jar of strawberry jam, save that nothing else. They were piled up in the fridge, too. It was most confusing," Wammy said thoughtfully, his brows drawn together.

" It was not easy to remove him. When we approached him, his eyes were as wide as saucers, I think that he was genuinely terrified. I tried to comfort the child, but he brushed me off and ran away. Upstairs he fell and we heard the sound as he hit the floor. We could have never guessed what it had been that made him stumble over his own feet."

"What was it then?" L said impatiently.

" There was a red substance on the floor, and it was most certainly no strawberry jam. It scared everyone" said Wammy, and L could read in his face that he had felt similarly repulsed.

L could read others quite well, though there were exceptions. Beyond Birthday being the first one.

" Blood," L stated. There was no question in that.

"Yes, it was. It had seeped through something and the boy clearly had not realized that. He lay there, all bloody and lifted himself slowly from the ground, staring at his bloody hands, completely absorbed, I remember."

" Most interesting," L said, " How would you describe the look on his face?" His face was set with anticipation.

" I do not know. He was not facing us. But he laughed, laughed horribly. As if it had driven him out of his mind."

" I see." L closed his eyes.

The case was clear.

" We had no problems to take him away then. After his weird fit of laughter he was back to a calmer state, though he refused to talk. We put it to the shock. You saw yourself how he arrived, L. After that, we made the usual tests and found out that he was suiting to be our student. Though it's all suspicious. Where are his parents? How came he to live there alone?"

" Highly suspicious. Did you look into the case further? You surely must have examined the source of blood."

" Indeed. It came from the third floor where it had slowly seeped through the floor. There lay openly three corpses, disfigured and with horrible expressions upon their poor faces, apparently been slayed in their state of shock, no trace of the murder weapon. We handled the matter."

L was shocked. Could a little child have done this horrible murder?

" So you made sure they were buried without a scandal. What about the police?"

" They are still trying to find their murderer. They would never suspect a child, he was dismissed as a suspect and placed in the role of the victim. They conducted a blood test to see whether he was their child, but that was not the case. They were strangers. Noone has any idea where he came from and as to what his motivations are. He is a mystery. His eye colour only adds to it."

" Of that I am sure. So you came to the same obvious conclusion as myself," L smiled amiably at Wammy.

There had been no other person save himself. His strange behaviour and the fact that he could merrily eat in a house that was a grave at the same time were conclusive also. The quite eccentric content of the fridge showed that he had been living there for longer time and planned it. Though there had been a telephone, he had never called for help.

" This child must have found a way to kill them and get a hold of their house, maybe someone else was involved, too. He cannot be brought to justice for it. He is intelligent and dangerous."

"I am sure his expression when he saw the blood on his hands was a delighted one. He appreciated his work. There was no accomplice. That is not his style. Behind that calm mask he conceals his real character."

" I am not sure as how to go on, he is a child who cannot be held responsible, but yet he poses a serious threat to the other children. We cannot confine him or just give him away. To tell the truth, I hope we can cure him of this side of his. He is exceedingly intelligent, maybe we can make him admit and see that what he did was terribly wrong and may never happen again."

" I am not sure of that, though he won't give up his position here. But I am sure that he won't kill a child just for fun. Only if he was extremely angered, I think. That is all I can say about Beyond. They will leave him alone."

" It's a lot we know. Ife he does not behave we will confront him. We give him a second chance."

" You're right," L said, feeling inexplicably relieved at his words. He had murdered, but yet...

"Besides, he is always at my heels, this Beyond, so we can safely…"

L was interrupted midsentence.

" Whoa, I think I heard my name," said Beyond as he opened the door and strode cheerfully into the room.

" You are mistaken," L said without caring to give his words conviction.

Beyond smiled boyishly.

L sighed. What else could he do? Beyond certainly had a childish side to him. Sadly it was buried under a thick layer of disguised cruelty.

L jumped from the chair he had been crouching in.

"Let's go, we have work to do."

Beyond immediately followed. He remarked that L had already accepted the fact that he was following him. They had spent almost a month together and somehow, something like friendship had formed between them, much to Mello's dismay. There was like some kind of bond.

B smiled as the thought crossed his mind. When L smiled back, he felt assured that the sentiment was really returned.

...

Though these incidents and conversations after Beyond's arrival at the Wammy's House somewhat indicated a cheerful and happy future they were quickly succeeded by strange events which not even L himself could have foreseen. He had become accustomed to Beyond, but it was just the beginning.

*Please let me know what you think.*


	7. The Memory of a Chilling Night

An Enigmatic Man 7: The Memory of a Chilling Night

L files through his memory. With his eyes closed and both hands on his ears, he is intently concentrated and lost inside of himself. He is listening to the faint voices of his almost forgotten past. How could he possibly have forgotten? Disturbing images surface in his mind, disappearing and returning so fast that it has him feeling dizzy.

They rush past senselessly, escaping his perceptive mind. He tries to organise them, vainly, it's as if he was caught inside a whirlwind of memories. They are too fast, too faint to even grasp.

L realises that his mind has betrayed him bitterly and separated him from essential knowledge in order to protect him, as it sometimes happens with traumatised people. But it was not lost entirely.

He wants it to be retrieved, just like the red-eyed man, who watches him sadly from a distance, giving him space. He approached him in his dream solely for this purpose. To reunite L with his past and to make him understand his point of view. L wonders how the man perceives his surroundings through crimson eyes.

L takes his time, and eventually, the whirlwind slows, giving him access.

Images flash before his inner eye, surprisingly beautiful images. L can only catch a glimpse.

A clear lake glowing in midnight light. A wooden house. A vast field of green. Coloured lanterns, scarce sources of warm light in the almost unperturbed darkness. Wooden planks in dark shallow water. Peaceful, blissful silence, only the soft rustling of leaves and the sound of soft waves reaching the shore of the small lake. A gust of soft summer wind that cools his heated skin. A beautiful scenery.

A camp fire casting its glow on childlike features, catching in red and black eyes. Beyond and L sitting together, talking, idly chatting like fond friends with history. Smiles. Completely absorbed by the conversation and the other's presence. Watched by envious eyes from a window nearby.

This is bliss, a separate paradise existing within L's life as a detective, a job involving thousands of gruesome murders. They are far away now and do not occupy L's mind for the time being. Although his occupation makes up his life's purpose, he needs this as well. It keeps him together, as a human being. He cannot stay on one side entirely. L and Watari both know this and it is part of their concept to educate gifted children.

Someone calls for L, he cannot recover what's being said. He leaves Beyond at the camp fire, not without regret, and enters the wooden house. Mello is cutting vegetables for a barbecue and L joins in, with Matt and Near watching. It feels like a happy family vacation. L recalls the heart warming sensation of being together with people he deeply likes and whose presence he more than enjoys.

…

It feels so foreign to him now, long gone and almost entirely forgotten. Being together with Light felt similar…before the Higuchi case…but never this carefree. This is his childhood and not the Kira case, after all. A comparison is not possible. Uneasiness passes over his face, giving him a strained expression. Both so far away and yet so close to his heart that it hurts.

They leave the house together as they are finished with the preparations for the barbecue and join Beyond who is still sitting at the camp fire, unmoving and thoughtful, his chin in his hand. L notices his eyes are one with the fire, a fierce quality to them.

He is scolded by Mello for not helping with anything, but does not reply, as is his habit with people other than L. It's just like always, L protects Beyond and shrugs the matter off, leaving Mello sulking for a while.

As the smell of deliciously grilled meat and vegetables greets them, the dispute is soon forgotten and L recalls the sense of relief he felt each time when he had successfully managed to unite the ever arguing couple. Beyond who could never get along with anyone but him and L who always had to solve the conflicts he caused, no matter where he went or what he did. L suspected B of being a sociopath, although he couldn't be sure and never knew for a fact. Everyone he knew would have agreed eagerly, but L hates lightly passed judgement. L has a strong sense of justice, after all.

….

Back then, he was starting to doubt Beyond would ever make friends with anyone. Even L found it sometimes hard to deal with the red-eyed prodigy, but there were also these moments they shared. Nobody understood him this well, nobody was this mysterious and independent. Beyond always was special and….closest to him. L felt like Beyond looked right through him when he fixed his red orbs on him. In the beginning rather sceptical, due to his unclear past, L rather quickly warmed up to him and his walls fell. Beyond became less aggressive and sarcastic, he talked with L freely and honestly, but with him only.

They resembled one another, not only concerning their appearance, but also their personalities and their level of intelligence. They were a match. And L irrationally looked up to his fearless and nonchalant attitude. Maybe he was envious of him, too, despite the fact that he was the cherished idol, while Beyond ranked rather low and his presence generally was not appreciated.

Of course, their special and growing attachment showed. That was why Mello was jealous and why the others took his side as well. Beyond had infinitely altered their relationship and they felt estranged by him, the intruder. However, they were careful not to let their hostility show too much, since it angered L.

That night at the camp fire, glares were exchanged and L noticed the usual tension between the boys. He dismissed it as a minor fight, which it undoubtedly was in his eyes as well as in the others'. But the pair of red-eyes perceived another kind of reality, always had and always would. This, L could never understand. Beyond was not smiling anymore, L recalls. He dives back into his most mysterious and chilling memory. He remembers parts of a conversation.

….

The night sky expands over them, seemingly endless. There are no city lights, so they can see many stars and the various patterns they trace in the sky. Suddenly, L has an idea.

"Let's go watch the stars together before we go to sleep. Maybe I can teach you, in case you haven't studied astronomy yet, like me!" He says mockingly with a smile. L used to smile a lot back then.

"Like I'm in need of your advice. There's not a single thing left for you to teach me. But I bet I could lecture you on other things. " B says provocatively because Mello is around and easily angered.

"L, don't listen to him, he is incredibly insolent and entirely unworthy of your attention. Stargazing would be a great idea without the jerk." Mello sneered.

"Like what?" L laughs carefreely, not taking it as seriously as Mello. He likes the small challenges and doesn't consider them insolent.

"I'll make you see L, you'll be introduced to a completely new world…later. I'll make sure your mind is occupied….for a very long time." B says, his voice growing quieter, the last bit is whispered. Finally, he smirks, which does little to ease the tension.

"Geez, what a creep. Don't you know when to stop?"

"I'm looking forward to it, hard to believe though. You always make it sound so modest."

Matt takes an empty bucket to the lake to take care of the fire. Near follows to help him with carrying.

"Matt is not as lazy as he seems to be, L, see? He is starting to develop an interest in computers now, you know? Watari says he is exceptional in the field!" Mello exclaims proudly.

"So the little pain is actually good for something?"

"I'm sure he is. Was only a question of time until he found something which would truly interest him. Near is doing well, too."

"Yeah. He solves puzzles." Mello tries his best to ignore B now, like he was told countless times ("Show him who's smarter!").

"Not just puzzles, but cases, Mello."

"What? Why is he allowed to do that already and I'm not?"

"Are you that stupid? Because you're too rash with decisions and not composed at all. You lack even the basic skills of a detective. You explode all the time, and it doesn't take more than teasing to provoke a reaction. Take a look at L and compare. Well, no, I didn't actually say that."

"B…" L says warningly.

"Shut up! It's just you! It's only you who provokes me all the time! Because I cannot understand why you are even here and not in therapy where you belong, psychopath!"

B gets up from his seating position and faces Mello, who instinctively recoils at the sight of his menacing red eyes.

"I'm a high- functioning sociopath. Do your research."

L sighs at this and covers his eyes with his hands in desperation.

"That was not my point. You're too childish, but both of you. You weren't assigned a case, either, so stop judging Mello because you're not in the position to."

" Ha!"

B doesn't reply now. L has a point there. Besides, he wouldn't talk back now. But it angers him that he (L) would take Mello's side, not his. He knows it is irrational. He must not think like that. But he can't help it that he secretly rages inside, he can barely contain himself. It just doesn't show… He sees L. But L does not see HIM. What is this feeling…he cannot quite make something out of it. It's confusing and it's too much.

Mello and L continue to chatter away. Matt and Near return, emptying the bucket of clear lake water over the camp fire and joining the conversation. B grows silent once again, contemplating.

…

He remembers their latest argument. L taking him aside, expression set dead serious, black orbs boring into his own, red ones.

"B, you cannot continue like this."

" Why not? I'm satisfied with the way things are here."

" But I'm not."

" Ah, yeah. I forgot that your opinion is considered superior. How could I? So what can I do to make you feel at ease today?"

" Stop provoking. Stop being sarcastic. You're chasing everyone away. That way, you will never be accepted. Life at Whammy's means coexistence, which means you have to tolerate in order to be tolerated by others. You are a troublemaker and play pranks on my friends. "

"You think they will accept my eyes? You are just too cute, L. I'm defending myself; in advance!" B smiles at him, his eyes lighting up.

"Don't go there. When I'm looking at you, I don't see your eyes at all. It's just a colour, after all. Above all, it makes you special. It's just you."

"For once you are mistaken, L." B says softly.

That's the problem with you, L. You don't see me like I do. You don't see me like everybody else does. The hateful glares, the contempt in their eyes. But I see you and I see so much more.

I can see the numbers floating above your head, ticking away. And it's starting to drive me crazy. You're so carefree, despite your title…B thinks, expression growing softer. Maybe you're just pretending, for my sake.

"Don't use it as an excuse anymore. My patience won't be tried."

B realised in this instant at the Whammy's House, as L turned away, that he would never again find anyone like L. Someone willing to ignore his monstrous eyes and his eccentric character. Someone to consciously want him as a friend to this extent. L is special and maybe B is envious.

The decreasing numbers made him worry. The more he learned about his abilities, the more frightened he became. Who or what caused this development to take place?

He sank down the wall and rested his head on his knees. The situation was growing desperate faster than he had anticipated. Something stirred within him and he felt overwhelmed. How to cope with this?

He knew they were going on vacation together in small groups soon, him being together with L, Mello, Matt and Near. Conflicts would be bound to arise. What if he were to snap then, again? What was he capable of doing? No matter how he turned things around: L would be hurt the most, always. But a decision HAD to be made. It tears him apart, too.

I want L for myself, he all but whispers.

…

"Ok, now that the fire's taken care of, we can go stargazing!" Matt exclaims.

" You go ahead I'll go fetch the telescope. Please try not to hurt one another while I'm gone!" L says jokingly.

" Don't worry. I'm totally composed." Mello says.

B smiles to himself.

Me too…he thinks.

Mello takes Matt's and Near's hand, leading them to the wooden planks at the lake.

"Are you coming or what?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a second." Beyond reaches into his pocket.

Have to wait until L is out of hearing distance...Ah, well should be enough now.

I thought this might come in handy one day again. Still, it's a strange feeling, sad, but also reassuring. It gives me a sense of security, unlike anything else. Not even L...this freed me. It will free me again.

A flash of bright silver in the now chilly night air.

….

Author's note: Hey I'm back :) I had already abandoned this story, when a review reached me, asking me to continue. I really feel in the mood to continue this, since I have a plot in mind. I'm finally finished with my A-levels now, so I've got a lot of free time to somehow cope with. Anyways, please let me know what you think! Is anybody even reading this anymore? xD


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